Quick Shots: Play-in game for NBA playoffs is dumb idea

Matt Trowbridge Staff writer @matttrowbridge

Saturday

Apr 14, 2018 at 3:54 PMApr 14, 2018 at 3:54 PM

The NBA adding a MLB-style one-and-done playoff game to earn the final playoff spot in each conference is the worst sports idea I've heard in a long while. Baseball did it mostly to separate the division winners from the wild-card teams, which have won six World Series since 1997. The NBA, after seeing the Timberwolves and Nuggets draw attention when their final game decided the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoffs, is talking about it as a way to artificially create excitement with two teams that are never going to win the title.

4 of 20 best QBs in 10 years?

ESPN's Todd McShay compared his pre-draft grades for every QB drafted in the first round the last decade. Four of this year's QBs graded in the top 20 out of 32 QBs, with Sam Darnold at No. 10, Josh Rosen at 16, Josh Allen at 17 and Baker Mayfield at 20. Chicago's Mitch Trubisky came in 23rd.

Of those 27 first-round QBs since 2008, only Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton have made more than one Pro Bowl, although Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz and Joe Flacco have clearly seen successes. And even three of the "busts" had their moments. Mark Sanchez took the Jets to the AFC title game his first two years in the NFL, Josh Freeman had a 95.9 passer rating and led the Bucs to a 10-6 record his second year and RG III had maybe the best rookie season in history. That indicates we may have to wait three years to know who panned out and who didn't.

Manning begins age of QB

This list by Pro Football Perspective shows why teams draft QBs so high: in 10 of the last 15 years of the list from 1967-2012, the most valuable player in the draft was a quarterback, including Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who rank No. 1-2 all-time in career approximate value. (The list stopped after 2012 because it is too early yet to know who will be the most valuable from the last five drafts).

Before Manning began the passer run, a QB had earned the most value from his draft class only once in 13 years (second-round pick Brett Favre in 1991). The other 12 filled six different roles, with three running backs (Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk), three pass rushers with over 100 career sacks (Pat Swilling, Michael Strahan, Jason Taylor), two receivers (Jerry Rice, Jimmy Smith), two linebackers (Ray Lewis, Derrick Brooks), a defensive back (Rod Woodson) and even an offensive lineman (Randal McDaniel).